Flying is such a great experience, isn’t it? When you think about human history, we are all very lucky to be able to jet through the sky, heading off to a new destination for a holiday or to see friends and family. It had me wondering what people miss most about flying.
Since I am not due to get on a plane until October, the months of being grounded stretch endlessly before me. Here are some of the things that I am looking forward to experiencing again.
Friendly Cabin Crew
Whether you call them cabin crew, flight attendants, stewards or stewardesses, the people who work with passengers on flights are usually amazing. I am lucky I fly excellent airlines in the oneworld alliance, as the crews are invariably fantastic.
I miss the British Airways banter, as once the crews realise you’re fun, they’ll happily interact cheekily with you while professionally delivering the service. Memorable is a flight where I was the only passenger in Club Europe, and both crew stopped at my seat for an extended period to chat about this and that.
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- The Purser on Malev provided utterly excellent service!
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- The traditional clothing worn by one Royal Jordanian crew member.
At Aer Lingus, the crews friendly patience and unfeigned delight at dealing with families and children is a wonderful thing to watch. They get the job done with a smile and are always helpful in that Irish way of theirs.
Qatar crews continually amaze me at their efficiency and I’ve noticed they also take the time to chat with you before and after the flight where time allows. It all adds to the experience.
Superb Airline Lounges
While there are many forgettable lounges which have been designed with little thought and perfunctory catering, there are others which are a legendary experience on their own. Dan Dan Noodles and Dim Sum in the Cathay Pacific lounges always have me dancing with anticipation when I’m flying with them, for one thing.
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- So pretty, so delicious!
The best of the bunch are the first class lounges, of course. From the salubrious delights of the Cathay Pacific “The Pier” lounge in Hong Kong, with its foot massages and cosy chic décor to the Qantas one in Sydney with excellent dining and free spa treatments, they’re sometimes worth the trip on their own.
Food, Glorious Food!
Regular readers of my flight reviews will know I like food, all the food, anytime – in fact, all the time! If I had three stomachs I would probably just eat the entire time.
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- Look at these bad boys!
I miss the Congee on Cathay Pacific, the afternoon tea and scones at British Airways, and poached eggs at breakfast time on Qantas. That’s just three, I mean, there’s also biscuits and sundaes on American Airlines, the full Irish Breakfast on Aer Lingus and so many, many more.
Delectable Drinks
I’ve become exposed to a bunch of new things thanks to flying. Mocktails for one, and Qatar Airways do a mean set of them in business class, especially their Pineapple Margarita. So good!
Expensive Champagne is another, and I think the most expensive I’ve had is the Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle that British Airways serve in the Concorde Room and First Class. It’s really nice, but I can’t see me casually dropping €150 for the bottle. Lucky I flew using my points!
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- French Champagne, Duval-Leroy.
Another one I remember as being very nice is the Pol Roger Winston Churchill, along with the Duval-Leroy I had on Swiss, and various others like Moët & Chandon, Taittinger, Pol Roger and Billecart-Salmon. The latter was the first one that stuck in my mind as a really nice drop.
Any kind of airline specific drink is also lovely, such as Cathay Pacific’s Cathay Delight. Of course I also enjoy water, Twinings Green Tea and a bunch of other things too.
Those Views!
You’re flying over a country like China during the daytime on Cathay Pacific or over the Persian Gulf after midnight on Royal Jordanian and you’re bound to get awesome views. Looking outside is one of the best things about flying.
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- Look at the gorgeousness!
Landing in Sydney is a feast for the eyes, whether you get the approach from the north or the south, and dodging around the buildings on certain approaches to London City brings a smile to my face too.
Overall Thoughts
Seems like I miss quite a bit about flying. Thankfully we’re beginning to get to the end of the pandemic and I have some fun trips planned. Hopefully I’ll make it to Helsinki to check out the Finnair Platinum Wing, plus I have some business class flights for next year on American and British Airways.
What do you miss most about flying? Are there any specific things that spring to mind? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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What I miss most is the joy of flying itself. While flying at the pointy end is fun, I miss the excitement and stupid grin I get on my face at take off and landing. Of course, looking out the window and seeing the world pass by is another thrill I miss. And lastly, the joy of eating at 30000 feet. The food could be buy on board or better quality catering up front. But theres something so exciting about eating while high in the sky.
All excellent points all round. Take-off and landing are certainly the best parts of a flight 🙂
What I miss the most is being in the air, away from work interruptions, and being able to concentrate on a single task, instead of back-to-back meetings and answering random emails and chat requests…
I can relate to that, I love being completely disconnected when flying. It’s a refreshing experience! Thanks for the comment.
What do I miss? I miss flying on the super duper A380 on Lufthansa from Miami to Frankfurt and then to New Delhi in First Class…in my usual seat: 1A. I am hoping that I can fly again this coming October to Mumbai and New Delhi and that the big birds are coming out of the mothball area where they are parked. The Pandemic is almost totally under control and we can go back to normal life happenings.
Now that sounds wonderful! There’s something about flying a familiar route on your usual airline in your usual seat, isn’t there? I have the same kind of feeling flying on the Dublin to London route – far less salubrious than yours, but the same feeling. Thanks for that!
Wow, a loaded question! I have flown during “The Mess”, just not as often but as a primarily North American flyer within the continent and the Caribbean there have been a few items to reflect upon: Domestic travel since 9-11 has been a massive decrease in onboard service, outside of First Class and even that has been downgraded in the last 20 years so, not much to miss. OK, this goes back a ways but still applies. Airport dining options. So many restaurants are closed but some god or goddess be praised for McDonald’s. I rarely eat at Corporate Death… Read more »
“Corporate Death Burger” – hahahahaha! Now that amused me no end! I wouldn’t be a big visitor at the golden arches myself, but I do swing by occasionally. I hear you on the people watching and schedules – even I noticed in trip planning that sometimes the flights offered in the US would sent me far in another direction to usual. Good point on the things to enjoy. I’ve breezed through airports the couple of times I’ve flown in the past 12 months, which is a joy. Friendlier staff – that’s an understatement. The people I’ve seen, especially in Dublin… Read more »
I miss everything. I really miss sitting in a single seat in business class and feeling special. Getting to your destination is a part of the overall experience. I have always enjoyed my flights to and from the US to Europe on Aer Lingus.
Those single seats are quite special, aren’t they? I completely agree that getting to the destination is part of the overall experience. Thanks for the comment!